Dayton Raceway
What: Live harness racing
When: Tonight's first race scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Ribbon-cutting ceremony begins at 5:45.
Where: Corner of Needmore and Wagner Ford roads
Season: 56 dates, Oct. 3 to Dec. 27 (no racing on Sundays, Tuesdays, some Mondays)
Special events: Four $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships, Oct. 17 and Oct. 18
Simulcast: Wagering on thoroughbred and harness racing from around the country, noon to midnight daily
Dayton Raceway hasn’t officially kicked off harness racing yet, but officials already are looking ahead to 2015.
Penn National Gaming has proposed a 75-date season next year for its north Dayton track. This season’s meet features 56 dates, including today’s 6:35 p.m. opener.
The plan was unveiled at this week’s Ohio State Racing Commission meeting along with Miami Valley Gaming’s proposal for 89 race dates next year at its Warren County facility. Scioto Downs in Columbus has applied for 100. The three tracks — which race at different times of the year — hope to finalize their schedules this month.
“You’ll never be without harness racing in that triangle ,” said Bob Schmitz, chairman of the state racing commission. “We want as much live racing as possible. There could be 275 days of harness racing on that circuit.”
Why additional dates already? More money for bigger purses.
The state’s seven racinos — which in addition to slot machines offer thoroughbred or harness racing, pay 9-to-11 percent of their winnings (after the state takes its 34 percent cut) to winning horsemen.
Penn National Gaming, which operates Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, has not yet reached an agreement with the horsemen to determine how much slot machine revenue will go to the purse fund. The sides are operating under a memorandum of understanding for the 2014 season, according to Penn National spokesman Bob Tenenbaum.
In 2011, harness racing purses in Ohio totaled $12.3 million. Last year, they grew to $21 million, according to the Ohio State Racing Commission. That number is expected to keep growing because of increased slot machine revenue and foot traffic at Ohio’s seven racinos.
“(Slot machine revenue) dramatically changed the whole complexion of the industry in the state,” said Mark Loewe, who oversees Penn National’s Ohio racing operations. “You’ll see trainers are much more aggressive in looking to buy better quality horses and, obviously, purse structures have dramatically changed.”
Last month at a sire standardbred yearling sale in Delaware County, one colt sold for $150,000, the highest price ever paid in Ohio. Another went for $115,000.
Simulcast racing
Ohio’s horse racing industry has some catching up to do. The amount of money wagered at the state’s commerical tracks peaked at $628 million in 1998. It dipped to $190.5 million last year, the worst showing since 1967.
The bulk of that money — nearly $160 million — was wagered on simulcast races, which are shown on television monitors at the racinos. Gulfstream Park, a thoroughbred track in Florida, drew the most Ohio action: $9.2 million.
More than $21 million was wagered at Lebanon’s fairgrounds last year on simulcast races; only $1 million was bet on live harness racing at the facility, which has since moved to Miami Valley Gaming’s new track in Turtlecreek Twp.
“The betting has gone down substantially over the years because of the quality of the product,” Schmitz said.
As Ohio’s product improves, it is expected to draw more wagering on live events. At the same time, it should draw more bets from gamblers throughout the country. All of the races in Dayton will be simulcast at tracks from coast to coast.
“As time goes on, the quality of horses will be better and the purses will be better, so people will become more familiar with the Dayton (simulcast) signal,” Schmitz said. “Guys who sit around these simulcasts at other tracks will bet substantially more money on the Dayton signal than they did on Raceway Park in Toledo.”
Dayton Raceway’s license formerly belonged to Raceway Park, which held its last race in September 2013. Penn National paid $75 million to transfer to license to its new Dayton track.
The Toledo track took in live-racing bets totaling $1.1 million in 2013, compared to $13.6 million on simulcasts. Schmitz expects much bigger numbers in Dayton.
“Dayton will be off the charts because of the facility and the VLTs (video lottery terminals, or slot machines). People will be coming over to see what’s going on at the race track.”
‘Win-win situation’
The highlight of Dayton’s harness racing season will be the Oct. 17-18 Ohio Sire Stakes Championships. There will be eight races for colts and fillies (both trotters and pacers). Scioto Downs held its championships last week.
“There were eight $200,000 finals, so that’s $1.6 million,” Schmitz said. “As recently as three years ago, the (Scioto) finals went for $75,000. You can see the quantum leap with the addition of video lottery terminals. It has really invigorated the Sire Stakes.”
Tonight’s first race card in Dayton drew a lot of interest from horsemen. There will be 14 races with nine entries in all but one race.
It’s a dramatic comeback for harness racing in Montgomery County, which had only one day of competition in 2013. That was at the county fair and a scant $4,740 was wagered.
“Our horsemen who had to matriculate to other states to make a living are back in Ohio, buying all these Ohio agricultural products,” said Jerry Knappenberger, executive director of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association. “It’s a win-win situation for horse racing and the state.”
The Dayton track is five-eighths of a mile and topped with a layer of limestone and stone dust. Races are one mile, which means the horse-drawn sulkies will start on the backside, adjacent to Wagner Ford Road.
Purses on opening night range from $3,000 to $12,000.
The season lasts until late December, but Loewe doesn’t foresee many cancellations due to inclement weather.
“They’ve raced in Chicago in minus-20 wind chill, so they’re a hearty bunch,” he said.
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